James west



(N Model.)

J. WEST. GOVER FOR' PNEUMATIG TIRBs.

No. 593,952. Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

I I. W,

W: nonms PETER: Pngfu'mo.. wAsmucmN o c UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WEST, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES WEST, GEORGE WEST, AND l-IENRY J OSEPl-I WILBERFORCE RAPHAEL, OE SAME PLACE.

COVER FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,952, dated November 16, 1897.

Application filed April 5, 1897. Serial No. 630,838. (No model.) Patented in France March 25, 1897, No. 263,358.

w To all wiz/m it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMEs WEST, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, re-

This invention of improvements in covers for pneumatic tires has for its object to pro- Vide tire-covers of improved constructions designed to prevent or lessen liability to side slipping and at the same time to render the whole or any portion of the Wearing-surface easily renewable. For this purpose I .construct tire-covers as I shall now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a cross-section and part plan showing a tire-cover constructed according to my invention.

The tread portion of the tire-cover 1, which is or may be of the ordinary light and cheap construction, is formed with several rows of closely-pitched holes 2, which extend entirely through it and which are bushed or reinforced by eyelets 3, of metal or other hard material, that effectually protect the edges of the holes against damage by contact with Stones or other obstacles in the road.V These eyelets are fitted with studs 4, of suitable material, such as india-rubber or equivalent yielding material, formed at their inner ends With enlarged heads 4x, that bear against the inner surface of the cover. The studs are made of a larger diameter than that of the eyelets, so that upon being forced through such eyelets they willtightiy fit the same, and their outer project-ing ends will expand to their normal diameter and fit over the outer ends of the eyelets, so that they will not be liable to be forced inward by contact with the ground, (even when the inner air-tube is deflated,) but, on the contrary, being forced outward by the inner air-tube and being soft and yielding, their outer ends will When in contact with the ground be flattened more or less,

and so become more rigidly and effectually held in place and prevent any leakage of dirt or moisture into the cover or tire. The heads on the inner ends of the studs enable the studs to be eifectually held in place by the inner air-tube of the tire and prevent the studs being forced outward through the eyelets by the air-pressure. In the formation of the tirecover the said holes are not formed by cutting and removing a'portion thereof by means of a belt 01' wad punch, but are formed in such a way as not to destroy any portion of the fiber, being pierced with a suitable tool, which is followed up by the eyelet.

By the construction described it will be seen that each stud is kept in position by two known and controllable forces-viz., (a) the pressure of the inner air-tube, which acts Vagainst the shouldered portion of the head of the Stud, forcin g it ti ghtly against the inner inextensible wall of the cover and so preventing a it from being either forced out by excessive latter softly to the cover instead of to the airtube. The studs can when Worn be nevertheless readily replaced after the cover has been removed from'the air-tube. Furthermore, the arrangement of the studs on each side of the center of the head of the cover effectually prevents side slipping. The tirecover may be provided with any known or 'suitable means for attachin g it to a wheel-rim.

the cover and enlai'ged outerends pi'ojeeting In testimony whereof I have signed my beyond the outer side of the cover, said studs name to this specifieation in the presenee of Io beingr each made of a greater diameter 'than two subscrbing witnesses. that of the hole in the eyelet oi' bush through 5 which it is foi'eed so that its outer projeeting' JAMES VVS I' end is expanded ovei` the outer end of the said Vitnesses: eyelet 01' bush, substantitlly as hei'ein de- PERCY E. MATTOCKS, scribed fo1` the purpose specified. EDMUND S. SNEWIN. 

